The respiratory system allows the oxygen in the air to pass into the blood circulation through the vesicles in the lungs. Oxygen in the bloodstream is used by cells to produce energy from carbohydrates and some other organic molecules. After this metabolic activity, a molecule called carbon dioxide is formed which must be excreted. The carbon dioxide formed reaches the lungs through the blood circulation and is expelled from there to the external environment.
What is phlegm?
In addition to oxygen, many living or non-living substances in the air reach the lungs with each inhalation. The mucus in the sputum is a gel-like fluid substance that the lungs and airways use as a defense mechanism against these foreign substances.
Mucus content generally consists of a combination of water and candied protein (glycoprotein) structures. These glycoprotein structures are also called mucin. The fluidity of sputum is inversely proportional to the amount of mucin in its structure.
As the amount of mucin increases, the amount of water in the sputum decreases and a more sticky sputum occurs.
Harmful substances are trapped in this gel and are carried in the opposite direction of gravity with the help of small hairs in the respiratory tract. Following this transport, the cough reflex comes into play and the mucus structure that is excreted (including living and non-living structures) is called sputum.
What are the Defense Mechanisms of the Airways?
Cough, which allows sputum to be expelled, is a sudden and spontaneous defense mechanism developed by the lungs and airways to prevent being affected by harmful particles. In the structure of sputum, cells, microorganisms, various fluids and foreign substances can be found. The structural features and appearance of sputum are determined by the substances contained in it.
Small amounts of secretions produced in the airways are easily carried upwards by the movement of the hairs in the inner structure of the airways, called mucociliary clearance. The mucus delivered to the nasal passages passes through the digestive system with swallowing, and this event is repeated throughout the day without the person being aware of it.
Due to various diseases, this cleaning If there is a problem in the mechanism or if the amount of secretion produced exceeds the cleaning capacity, the cough reflex is activated and the respiratory tract is cleared by coughing with phlegm.
What Causes Sputum?
- Production of sputum and cleaning, there is a balance under normal conditions. Sputum production with cough occurs as a result of disruption of this balance. At the same time, there may be an increase in the production of secretions in the airways in cases such as flu, sinusitis, allergic events or exposure to air pollution. It may damage the hairs and cause the cleaning phase to be interrupted. As a result of these factors, sputum formation becomes easier.
- If the production of secretions in the airways continues for a long time, it may accumulate at various levels of the respiratory system and cause obstructions. The mucus that accumulates as a result of failure to ensure the cleanliness of the airways may pave the way for infections by harmful microorganisms. . Due to this accumulation, the airflow can be prevented from advancing in the airways. These patients need to produce sputum constantly in order to breathe comfortably, but because the sputum structure is not fluid enough, they have difficulty in coughing it out.
- In asthma, an increase occurs in the cells responsible for the production of mucin in the mucus content. This can also be observed in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The increase in the mucin substance in the content causes the formation of a darker and stickier sputum.
- Another disease characterized by excessive sputum production is cystic fibrosis. This disease is a genetic disease that occurs as a result of mutation in a gene in DNA. Among the symptoms of cystic fibrosis, in addition to producing thick sputum, the following can be added;
- Coughing blood from the lungs (hemoptysis)
- Shortness of breath
- A rapid decrease in lung function worsening
- Long-term and recurrent respiratory system infections
What are the Types of Sputum?
Some features of the sputum, such as the color of the sputum, being with cough, being foamy or being continuous, give clues about the underlying disease.
- The complaint of producing sputum with an excessive amount of malodorous and continuing for a long time is a finding that is generally encountered in the case of bronchiectasis.
- Sputum that occurs suddenly and is expelled during the course of a febrile lung disease usually occurs in lung abscesses.
- A very low amount of sputum or sputum may not occur at all in respiratory system diseases caused by viruses.
- Sputum that is rusty and dark in consistency may be a sign of pneumonia.
- Green-yellow, foul-smelling and thick consistency sputum is usually a sign of lung diseases caused by bacteria. If this type of sputum is due to tuberculosis, systemic symptoms such as fever, night sweats and decrease in body weight are expected to be accompanied by such sputum. /li>
- If the sputum is pink in color and foamy, it is considered a sign of fluid collection in the lungs.
- Blood in the form of lines on the sputum is caused by pneumococcal bacteria, which is the causative agent of pneumonia, and a bacterium normally found on our skin. It occurs in diseases caused by staphylococcal bacteria in the lungs.
- A type of bacteria called Klebsiella causes disease in the lungs. In case of sputum, a dark brown and foul-smelling sputum is formed.
How is Sputum Excreted?
The secretions formed in a normally functioning respiratory system, in the respiratory tract It is carried to the nasal cavity with the movement of the hairlike protrusions in the body and then passes to the stomach or, when necessary, the secretions are excreted with the cough reflex.
In order for the sputum to be expelled more easily;
- Consuming more fluids,
- Using nasal sprays containing moisturizing salt water, if deemed appropriate by the physician, non-drug relief can be applied.
At the same time, people who suffer from sputum production should be conscious of the cleaning of the filters in the ventilation systems around them.
Dust and various particles accumulated in the filters of ventilation systems that control room temperature such as air conditioners, when taken together with breathing air, may trigger sputum production. If seen, sputum excretion can be facilitated by the use of some drugs in the treatment. They are also known as expectorants.
During the use of these drugs, one should be careful about the side effects that may occur in the digestive system, especially in the stomach.
A group of drugs included in expectorant drugs act by disrupting the chemical structure of the mucus in the secretion. These drugs, called mucolytics, especially ensure the breakdown of protein-structured substances in the mucus, and as a result, the accumulated sputum is softened.
What are the methods of sputum removal without the use of drugs?
Water intake is helpful. In addition, it is expectorant Herbal teas and natural methods can also be preferred. Some of these are:
- Honey-hot pepper syrup prepared with apple cider vinegar, natural honey, ginger and hot pepper,
- Thyme tea,
- Mint tea,
- Eucalyptus tea,
- Angelwort root tea,
- Fennel tea,
- Licorice tea.
How to Expel Sputum in Babies and Children?
Babies and young children usually cannot cough up sputum formed in the respiratory tract like adults. Especially when they have respiratory diseases, the reason for vomiting is to get rid of the accumulated sputum.
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